Yesterday, my latest check to the United States Department of Education was cashed by the government. This brings the total of my student loan debt below $99,000 to $98,993; when my next check to the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority hits I’ll be at the $98,700 or so mark. As you can see, another “grand” of my student loan debt bites the dust.

To some degree I have to consider this progress. Yet, when I look at that number it is still staggering. Even if I liquidated some assets and made a large payment to NJHESAA I’d still owe multiple thousands of dollars. Due to the new public service forgiveness program, I don’t plan on overpaying my USDOE student loan payments to any great degree (I think I send in an additional $50 each month).

But it’s that private loan from NJHESAA that keeps me up at night sometimes. I have to get that thing paid down or paid off completely. Right now it sits at a little bit more than $43,000. That’s a big nut to crack in a short period of time, but I’m going to make it one of my financial priorities to completely pay that thing off sooner rather than later.

Some of you may know that I plan out my budget on a yearly basis and then adjust my weekly and monthly budgets on an almost daily basis to figure out where my funds can be best utilized throughout the year in order to meet my financial goals. In the coming year, I’m going to really zero in on that NJHESAA loan and find a way to make a major dent in it.

Anyway, I’m in the $98,000 range now and my student loan debt continues to slowly, but surely, get lower.